What to Do with All that Left-Over Candy?: Momofuku’s Compost Cookies

Ever since I was a little girl, I’ve been obsessed with Halloween.  Perhaps it was the dress-up, the make believe, or the fact that teachers didn’t assign homework that night of the week.  BUT, I’m pretty sure it had something to do with the candy too.  I wasn’t yet old enough to understand my obsession with food, so like any little kid, I mistook it for a simple childhood fixation with candy.

This year, something was different…perhaps it’s the changing landscape in my neighborhood (new neighbors, new developments), or perhaps it’s the fact that last year’s kids are just a little bit older, but somehow, some way, I had tons of leftover candy.  I knew I had gone a little overboard when I spent $23 on candy at Dollar Tree–well, make that $22…$1 was spent on a pair of “Brother Cousin” false teeth that I just had to have.

But it doesn’t mean my Halloween was a wash.  Sipping hot coffee and bundled in my new Modcloth fall coat, I savored a ring pop, ate pez from a Tigger Pez dispenser, and held hands with a cute boy (who shall be referred to only as “Captain Planet”).

I even got a visit from the ever-so-famous Mecholsky family and took some adorable shots of Eliza in her nun costume.  Note: Eliza hasn’t been introduced to the Princess phenomenon, so she picked her own costume after falling in love with The Sound of Music. Seriously, could this child be any cuter?

Laid back and filled with sugar, my Halloween was the best yet.  To keep the sweetness going, I salute my old favorite Compost Cookies recipe from a past post here, but newly revised with Halloween Candy and a little more flour for the cookie base.  It may be November 1st, but I feel as if Halloween is certainly still upon us!

What to Do with All that Left-Over Candy?: Momofuku’s Compost Cookies

This recipe comes from the Momofuku Cookbook celebrating one of their most popular dessert items.  Filled with weird ingredients (usually a combination of salty and sweet), these cookies are unlike any you’ve ever seen.  To make the dish more festive, I’ve incorporated Halloween leftovers for a pragmatic and beautiful cookie.

Ingredients:

* 1 cup butter

* 3/4 cup sugar

* 3/4 cup brown sugar

* 2 teaspoons extract–vanilla and almond

* 2 eggs, beaten

* 2 1/4 cups flour

* 2 teaspoons baking powder

* 2 teaspoons salt

* 1 teaspoon baking soda

* 3 cups treats (I used a combination of Butterfinger, Sixlets, Dark Chocolate, Whoppers, Three Muskateers, and Sugar Babies)

1.) Peel and break up leftover candy (here, pictured dark chocolate squares, sixlets, butterfingers, and three muskateer bars).

2.) Cream together butter, sugar, eggs, and extract.  Sift together dry ingredients–flour, soda, salt, and baking powder.  Slowly add flour to wet ingredients.  Add candy to mixture until barely integrated.

3.) Refrigerate mixture for an hour or until stiff.  Preheat oven to 350F and scoop onto a parchment-lined cookie sheet.

4.) Bake for 10 minutes or until edges are gold.  Enjoy!Makes 3-4 dozen.

–Helana Brigman